Hamada Takahiro, 37, appeared at a press preview of the play "Glengarry Glen Ross" on Thursday, his first public appearance since his group WEST. disbanded on September 30. The play opens Friday and runs at IMM THEATER in Tokyo and in one other city.
The play is set in Chicago and follows real-estate salesmen fighting over clients, chasing the American dream and living out the fallout. Hamada plays a sharp-tongued salesman who closes deal after deal.
"Of all the roles I've been given, this one has the foulest mouth — I think it's the angriest I've ever been," he said of what to watch for.
A long-awaited co-star
Hamada shares top billing with Tsutsumi Shinichi, 62, who like him is from Hyogo Prefecture. "He's a senior actor I wanted to work with before I died," Hamada said. "I didn't think it would happen this soon. He talked to me so much that my nerves settled."
Tsutsumi returned the praise, calling his co-star "a friendly Kansai big brother." "It's a demanding role, but he worked hard at it while busy, and I was impressed," he said.
One month into going solo
A month has passed since Hamada began working on his own. He said he wants to keep his options wide open. "I want to do all sorts of things. I like too many things. I like singing, and I love acting," he said.
The stage work has given him a taste for more, he added. "This time I was taught acting down to the depths, and it's incredibly fun."